I'm switching to washables

[Stroller]

I'm in the process of switching from disposables to washables, at least when I've got access to a washing machine (i.e. when I'm at home).  I've sorted out my night-time solution, and I'm testing out a few different alternatives for daytime.  I'm planning to rate them for comfort, stealth/bulk and capacity, & I'll post the results when I finish the testing.  And of course then I'll stock up on whatever I settle on as the best for me.  Fuller details are now posted to my blog, in case anyone else is thinking of going the same way & may find it useful.

[justforfun]

Will be interesting to see what you find.  I only need diapers for sleeping, but I'm always interested in new options... cloth diapers and reusables in general are so expensive that it's hard to get a broad selection to see what works and what doesn't.  When you do your reviews, please note your rough body size and shape, so that those of us reading can take that into account as well... 

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

It has been demonstrated time after time that on the whole, cloth is cheaper than paper over time and usage, and probably healthier since you know where they have been after having given them their initial washing before the first use and 55 years ago, we never heard of "diaper blowout" aka "poo-mergency". Something as complex as they are does not make sense for a single-use item given that if the least significant part fails, the whole thing is no good for keeps before you get full use of it. And you KNOW that there will be SOME failure and waste. Throw-aways are an example of having "money to throw away" and have the taxpayer pick up the tab for storing them after use long-term. They are a relic of a more prosperous time. If you know what you are doing, you can make your own or get material and use them as "flats" and learn how to fold them as was done before 1951 when prefolds came out and even then these did not catch on until later. These were skills that 99% of the girls knew before they were 9 and I was changing a doll while being in a diaper at about age 7-1/3 like any little girl who could not hold it comfortably for at least 2 hours. I do not know how anyone over 55 can even think of these things as diapers, they are so alien and feel so chintzy as to be unsatisfactory,  even in the early to mid '70's they were all called "pampers", unless you are more about wetting and do not care how they feel. And if you are over 55 and remember what was put on you, what is being diapered without the rubber panties? You HAVE to feel like something is missing

[Stroller]

10 hours ago, justforfun said:

When you do your reviews, please note your rough body size and shape, so that those of us reading can take that into account as well... 

Already there in the blog entry.  5ft9in tall, 34 in waist, 159lbs.  So far, the terry pullups are hopeless as they leak way too easily.  My old DPF contour nappy works well, but of course I can't get more of those.  The Bambinex Polyester all-in-one has surprised me.  It holds pretty well, & is comfortable too.  No idea how long it will last though - that's the trouble with an all-in-one.  Once the shell leaks you have to throw the whole thing away.  I'm waiting for the others.  I've found I can buy the Leakmaster contour nappies from Amazon US, so I don't have to wait for adultclothdiaper.com to get them back in stock.  They're costing me a lot though, as I've had to order them from the US.  I just can't find anything like that in Europe.

[Stroller]

Just a quick update.  I'm generally in nappies about 10 hours a day, 5 days a week at the moment.  Although I've only got 2 usable cloth nappies suitable for daytime I've been using them for most of my wearing for the past couple of weeks.  I've had a leak or two, but nothing serious.  It's reduced the number of disposables in the bin by about 3/4 which relieves my landfill guilt a bit.  I'm comfortable in them, although for their bulk they don't hold as much as disposables - as you'd expect.  Still waiting for the other nappies to arrive...  I'm gradually collecting data on how much my nappies hold, both disposables and cloth, & getting them in a spreadsheet.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure now I'll be able to find the right nappies in the end.  If I can manage to wear them unobtrusively under my clothes & generally only need 2 or 3 to get me through from getting up to going to bed I'll be happy, & it looks like I'll be able to do that.  This weekend I'll get either one or 2 nights in a nappy too, so I'm looking forward to that.

[le Hollandais]

Three ought to get you through most of the day. I have found that 3 works for me, anyhow.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Until you get areasonable inventory of cloth diapers, You will miss out on the economy of laundry scale. The more you can wash and dry in the same load, the cheaper it is per diaper. I can wash 18 changes each being one light and one heavy weigh. But you also have to figure in the rinse of each that you do after use. I do dry in two loads. DO NOT USE ANY DOWNY OR DRYER SHEET!!!

[Stroller]

On 6/26/2018 at 6:28 PM, Little Christine said:

Until you get areasonable inventory of cloth diapers, You will miss out on the economy of laundry scale. The more you can wash and dry in the same load, the cheaper it is per diaper. I can wash 18 changes each being one light and one heavy weigh. But you also have to figure in the rinse of each that you do after use. I do dry in two loads. DO NOT USE ANY DOWNY OR DRYER SHEET!!!

Of course you're right, & I'm just testing things out at the moment to sort out which nappies to use regularly.  All I've got for now are 2 suitable for daytime, & 2 for nighttime.  3 of those are in the washing machine this morning, including both daytime nappies, so I'm in a Molicare at the moment.  I doubt I'll ever get close to 18 nappies in a wash though.  My bucket will only hold 4 or 5 max!  Filling the garage with buckets of nappies waiting for the wash wouldn't make me popular...

[rusty pins]

I had a DL friend who was a member hear for many years before he passed away last July.  He wore cloth diapers but what he did was use regular thinner adult cloth diapers and he layered them inside with actual baby size cloth diapers, kind of like inserts.  That way he said he could always add or subtract baby diapers to adjust the absorbency and bulk for daytime use or night time use.  The added benefit was that combo took far less time to dry after washing than a heavy thick adult cloth diaper or a night time thickness diaper.  You may want to think of that as thinner adult cloth diapers are not as expensive as the thicker heavier ones and you can buy more at one time for your money, plus cloth baby diapers can be found for sale at thrift stores, garage sales and of course regular department stores.  You may have more diapers to wash and dry, but it all works out as the baby diapers are much smaller in size and think of the time you will save drying them as they will dry compleatly so much faster.

[Stroller]

1 hour ago, rusty pins said:

I had a DL friend who was a member hear for many years before he passed away last July.  He wore cloth diapers but what he did was use regular thinner adult cloth diapers and he layered them inside with actual baby size cloth diapers, kind of like inserts.  That way he said he could always add or subtract baby diapers to adjust the absorbency and bulk for daytime use or night time use.  The added benefit was that combo took far less time to dry after washing than a heavy thick adult cloth diaper or a night time thickness diaper.  You may want to think of that as thinner adult cloth diapers are not as expensive as the thicker heavier ones and you can buy more at one time for your money, plus cloth baby diapers can be found for sale at thrift stores, garage sales and of course regular department stores.  You may have more diapers to wash and dry, but it all works out as the baby diapers are much smaller in size and think of the time you will save drying them as they will dry compleatly so much faster.

That is sort of the approach I'm probably going to take, although I'm thinking of adult contour nappies with shaped soakers.  The old DPF nappy I've been using is like this, & dries quickly enough.  My overnight 4ft terry squares dry quickly too, as when unfolded they're just towels when all's said & done.  I was surprised with the Bambinex all-in-one though, as it dries in no time due to being polyester.  Again it's got a separate soaker rather than all being sewn together.